cant stop pellets from burning in the pellet box

[Trvlngnrs]

Thanks for your input Slimpicker... yes I did season it as outlined in the owners manual. The grease fire died in a matter of seconds so I kept the burgers on for another 2-3 minutes to finish cooking then I shut the Ironwood down by holding the button for a couple seconds. The display told me it would cool down and shut off, or something to that affect, in 24 minutes. I didn't just unplug it or hit the kill switch on the rear.

Since I'm a Traeger owner for less than 48 hours... why wouldn't I trust the manufacturers recipes? I follow the owners manual in my vehicles, my appliances at home, my tools at work, etc. I had no reason to believe I should use a 3rd party recipe versus the manufacture's. Here's what the recipe says: "When you’re ready to sear your patties and with the grill set to the highest setting, the cook time for the perfect burger (1 ½-inch thick patties) is about eight minutes or four minutes per side."

Blessings,
Trvlngnrs

 

[Slimpicker]

yes I did season it as outlined in the owners manual. The grease fire died in a matter of seconds so I kept the burgers on for another 2-3 minutes to finish cooking then I shut the Ironwood down by holding the button for a couple seconds. The display told me it would cool down and shut off, or something to that affect, in 24 minutes. I didn't just unplug it or hit the kill switch on the rear.

Then you didn't do that wrong. The last guy to report this same thing cleaned out the auger, ran the initial setup mode where it loads pellets but doesn't fire up yet... maybe do that a couple times to make sure all burnt crap is out of your auger... try another smoke but don't got that high again anytime soon. You may have had 'factory' oil in your auger that caught on fire.... the 'season' get rid of factory oil in the rig but not in the auger chamber...

The thing about Traeger recipes is some are speculating that aren't even fully designed and tested on Traegers... some seem to be general recipes Traeger's oven abilities can support...

I do the best burgers ever on my 575 and never go over 275°, they are juicy and packed with smoke flavor... but that's just me.

 

[RemE]

Thanks for your input Slimpicker... yes I did season it as outlined in the owners manual. The grease fire died in a matter of seconds so I kept the burgers on for another 2-3 minutes to finish cooking then I shut the Ironwood down by holding the button for a couple seconds. The display told me it would cool down and shut off, or something to that affect, in 24 minutes. I didn't just unplug it or hit the kill switch on the rear.

Since I'm a Traeger owner for less than 48 hours... why wouldn't I trust the manufacturers recipes? I follow the owners manual in my vehicles, my appliances at home, my tools at work, etc. I had no reason to believe I should use a 3rd party recipe versus the manufacture's. Here's what the recipe says: "When you’re ready to sear your patties and with the grill set to the highest setting, the cook time for the perfect burger (1 ½-inch thick patties) is about eight minutes or four minutes per side."

Blessings,
Trvlngnrs

You are correct, you should be able to run it at 500F, unfortunately on some grills this higher heat can bubble the paint, seems to be random, like a QC problem with either labor or material. Traeger has replaced people's units for paint damage on new grills.

Now, the grease fire. I would ensure that the grill is level, and that drip pan is correctly in place. I would test liquid flow by pouring water slowly in different areas onto the pan and ensure that it flows into the grease trap. My Timberline failed this test so I had to modify things to correct my issue. You want to be sure that grease can't puddle anywhere, critical if going above 400.

Regarding shutdown, when you initiate the shutdown cycle, it stops in auger feed, then sets a timer duration based on set temperature. The fan runs during this time to keep the auger tube cool and burn up the remaining pellets in the firepot. Since the auger just stops feeding fuel, it shouldn't smoke. I do cook at high temps and I prefer to open the hood at shutdown, quickly scrub the hot grates with a "Grill Grubber" dipped in water, and leave the grill open so it cools as quickly as possible.

In two years now, I've had a couple of flame outs, where the fire died out, and the controller pumped the firepot full of pellets. This caused a big flare up on restart. I killed the power, grabbed gloves, removed grates, pans, then used a squirt bottle with water to put it out. Then scooped out the firepot contents into a foil pan of water. Then vacuumed everything clean. It's rare but can happen. If left to burn I felt it might overheat the paint.

In general the grills are good and stable, but stuff happens!

 

[Trvlngnrs]

Thanks guys, you both make a lot of sense!
Should I be concerned with the smoker being damaged? Wires melted, fan warped, control board damaged by the smoke and heat?

I purchased it Friday evening, it's now Monday morning. I'm going to talk to the people at the BBQ store I purchased it at, just wondering which direction I should take... replacement... refund... keep it and chalk it up to learning....

 

[RemE]

Thanks guys, you both make a lot of sense!
Should I be concerned with the smoker being damaged? Wires melted, fan warped, control board damaged by the smoke and heat?

I purchased it Friday evening, it's now Monday morning. I'm going to talk to the people at the BBQ store I purchased it at, just wondering which direction I should take... replacement... refund... keep it and chalk it up to learning....

I'm sure nothing is burned up inside. The fan and wires are safe from harm. If the paint is OK, keep on smoke'n.

 

[Dcgunman]

I'm sure nothing is burned up inside. The fan and wires are safe from harm. If the paint is OK, keep on smoke'n.

How many fans are inside my Century 885? 2? And is it the fans that control the smoke or the inside grill temperature? Or both? The left side of my 885 is 30 deg higher than what the grill temp says on the control box. The middle and right looks like its on target.

 

[RemE]

How many fans are inside my Century 885? 2? And is it the fans that control the smoke or the inside grill temperature? Or both? The left side of my 885 is 30 deg higher than what the grill temp says on the control box. The middle and right looks like its on target.

There is only one fan, it blows outside air, thru a tube that surrounds the auger tube, and then exits out of the small holes into the firepot. The controller monitors the chamber temp, and controls the pellet feed rate to maintain the set temperature. Simple feedback system.

The side opposite the pellet hopper (where the fan is located), is the hottest side of the grill. The chamber temp sensor is on the cool side. You learn to position foods based on this. Example, thick side of a brisket to the hot side.

 

[Dcgunman]

There is only one fan, it blows outside air, thru a tube that surrounds the auger tube, and then exits out of the small holes into the firepot. The controller monitors the chamber temp, and controls the pellet feed rate to maintain the set temperature. Simple feedback system.

The side opposite the pellet hopper (where the fan is located), is the hottest side of the grill. The chamber temp sensor is on the cool side. You learn to position foods based on this. Example, thick side of a brisket to the hot side.

So the reason why the left side of my 855 the temp is higher than the middle and right?

 

[Goonie]

Was wondering if the gentleman who replaced the rusted out fire pot and still had back burn issues ever solved his issue?

 

[Daba's BBQ]

So I bought my Traeger from Costco during a demo special probably 1 1/2-2yrs ago. I cant remember the model and there has been so much smoke in the last yr that has entered the pellet box that I cant read the serial #. Because when I tried to clean the residue off with a clorox wipe it also removed the printed numbers (should be a stamped tag IMO). I've tried to clean out every nook and cranny I can and STILL this thing runs the fire back into the auger and into the pellet box. So what happens is, I can never reach high temps because the pellets are burning in the auger before they get to the pot. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Next option is the dump and a different brand.

1. Don't use Clorox on your smoker
2. Invest in a vacuum, preferably a Shop-Vac and clean it that way
3. Take a picture of the rig and we can probably tell you what model it is.

As far as your issue is concerned, I would empty the pellet box completely, and vacuum the entire thing, including the area from the box to the firebox. Then prime the auger, and run the rig as starting it for the first time

BTW - I had a 2 year old Pro Series 34 rig. I had so many problems with this rig. I replaced the temp probe, main computer board, fan, etc. It stopped working during numerous cooks, and ruined several dinners. I got disgusted and just sold it. I bought a Pit Boss Pro Series and it was the best decision I ever made.

 

[Daba's BBQ]

I'm having the same problem on a brand new Ironwood. Purchased it Friday evening. Today, Sunday, I cooked 5 hamburgers (2lbs) per Traeger's recipe. 25 min at 225, then 4min/side at 500. First the grease grease caught fire on the aluminum tray. I shut it down, allowing it to cool for 24 min, then I looked up while eating and saw this. Quickly emptied the hopper and tried to empty the auger by going thru the ignite process without luck. I was afrid it may melt something. The smoke just got worse so I shut it down again and let it smolder.

Question: Should I demand my money back... it's less than 2 days old.

Trvlngnrs
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You cooked burgers at 500 degrees? Why?

 

[Goonie]

Thanks for the info, I will try and run it as if it were first time